KARACHI: January 07,2004 The cases of women and child kidnapping are on the rise in the country. It is obvious from the fact that during last year 2,906 abduction cases were reported in the national as well as vernacular press.
Out of the total 2,906 cases of children and women kidnapping, there were 1,398 cases of women kidnapping, 981 cases of female child abduction and in 527 cases male child were reported kidnapped from different areas of the country.
Madadgaar is a joint venture of Lawyers for Human Rights and Legal Aid (LHRLA) and UNICEF.In order to maintain an updated database the staff members of Madadgaar monitor twenty-six newspapers daily in Urdu, English and Sindhi languages. With the help of this database Madadgaar attempts to keep the public informed about the incidents of abuse against women and children through media.
Madadgaar research report on kidnapping informed that out of 2,906 reported cases of child and women abduction 301 reported in January, 184 in February, 198 in March, 219 in April, 266 in May, 323 in June, 275 in July, 306 in August, 240 in September, 194 in October, 208 in November, 192 cases of abduction were reported during the last month December 2004.
According to the findings of Madadgaar research, in many reported cases of kidnapping of children and women the perpetrator was known to the victim he was either a blood relative, an acquaintance, a neighbour, a family friend or a stranger.
Muhammad Ali, Incharge, Missing Children Desk Madadgaar, said that the recent cases reported in newspapers showed the trend that in most cases children between the age group of 1 – 10 are kidnapped later they were physically or sexually assaulted in lieu of old enmity or for sexual gratification.
The research divulged that most of the cases of children and women kidnapping were reported in Punjab 1,721, in Sindh 982 cases, in NWFP 125 cases and Balochistan 78 cases of abduction were reported.
Madadgaar research further informed that during the last year 444 cases of kidnapping were reported in Karachi 351 cases in Lahore, 153 cases in Multan, 121 cases in Hyderabad, 90 cases in Gujranwala, 77 cases in Rawalpindi, 72 cases in Sheikhpura, 66 cases in Sukkur, 46 cases from Vehari, 53 cases in Peshawar, 57 cases in Ferozewala, 44 cases in Bahawalpur, 31 cases in Quetta, 24 cases in Sialkot, 33 cases in Sahiwal, 38 cases in Sargodha, 27 cases in Faisalabad, 24 cases in Dharki and Khanewal each, 21 cases in Dadu, 47 cases from Khairpur, 26 cases in Hafizabad and 58 cases of women and children kidnapping were reported from Islamabad.
Madadgaar research also informed that 981 cases of female child abduction were reported in the local press during last year. Out of these 54 abduction cases were reported in January 34 in February 38 in March 49 in April 69 in May, 123 in June, 134 in July, 127 in August, 104 in September 82 in October 86 in November and 81 cases were published in December 2004.
The research pointed out that during the same period 527 cases of male child abduction were reported. Out of these total 69 cases were reported in January 40 in Febraury, 32 in March 26 in April, 265 in May 67 in June 26 in July 49 in August 38 in September 47 in October 38 in November and 39 cases of male child abduction were reported in December 2004.
Source: Dawn
Date:1/7/2005
